Familial DiGuglielmo syndrome

Acute erythroleukemia: diagnosis and management

Acute erythroleukemia is a rare subtype of acute myeloid leukemia that has undergone several changes in classification over the past 30 years. There are two subtypes of acute erythroleukemia: the more common erythroid/myeloid subtype, defined by the presence of increased erythroid cells and myeloid blasts; and the rarer, pure erythroid subtype, characterized by expansion of immature erythroid cells only. The erythroid/myeloid subtype of acute erythroleukemia is closely related to acute myeloid leukemia with myelodysplasia-related changes, and is frequently characterized by morphological dysplasia and complex karyotype. Pure erythroleukemia is a very uncommon subtype of leukemia associated with a very poor response and survival to current available therapeutic agents. Treatment results for this disease are suboptimal and new drugs are needed. This article summarizes current knowledge in the field of acute erythroleukemia.

Familial erythroleukemia: a distinct clinical and genetic type of familial leukemias

A family with erythroleukemia is presented, in which father and son were diagnosed at the same age, but 20 years apart, with almost identical clinical and morphological features of the disease. No environmental factors were identified. The karyotypic abnormalities of the bone marrow blasts in the son demonstrated 2 major clones, involving chromosomes 5 and 7, as well as 8, 13, 16 and 21. Both patients demonstrated a poor response to chemotherapy. Previously described families with erythroleukemia are reviewed with available specific karyotypic aberrations.

Simultaneous cloacogenic carcinoma in dizygotic twins

Dizygotic twins developed cloacogenic carcinoma of the anus almost simultaneously. The patients, although separated from the time they were 20-years-old, had very similar life styles. There are several reports in the medical literature of synchronous tumors in mono and dizygotic twins. It is recommended that if a cancer diagnosis is made in one twin, the other undergo workup to exclude the presence of a tumor with similar histology. The establishment of state or national twin registries would provide valuable information regarding the role of genetic and environmental factors in the development of not only cancer but also of various nonmalignant disorders.